<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Empty Eyes by Right_In_The_Kokoro</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22556890">Empty Eyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Right_In_The_Kokoro/pseuds/Right_In_The_Kokoro'>Right_In_The_Kokoro</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Orphanage of Ruin [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hetalia: Axis Powers, LOVECRAFT H. P. - Works</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Body Horror, Cults, Heterochromia, Lovecraftian Monster(s), M/M, Orphanage, Other, Paranormal, Psychological Horror, References to Lovecraft, Suspense</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:41:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22556890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Right_In_The_Kokoro/pseuds/Right_In_The_Kokoro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>1875 London<br/>Rumors have been going around of many children growing successful despite growing up on the streets.<br/>Alfred F. Jones, a young journalist at the time, sets out to investigate.<br/>He falls into a rabbithole he can never escape from.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>England/Russia (Hetalia)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Orphanage of Ruin [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622992</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Empty Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I've been working as a journalist for quite a while now, and I'm pretty darn good at it if I do say so myself. Even my bosses say so, but I'm usually not entirely convinced. That's why I decided to get the biggest scoop of the century, at the London gala. Apparently, a lot of very rich, successful and famous people that had been abandoned on the streets as children and managed to climb their way to the top were going to be there, and I wanted to figure out just exactly how that was possible. If only I wasn't so naïve back then…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh, you must've found my notes. If that's the case, you can consider me pretty much dead and unable to help you with what you might encounter in here. It's… a long story. But at least let me start at the beginning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My name's Alfred F. Jones, proudly 19 at the time of writing this and a former journalist for The London Times. If you want to know why that is, let me take you back a year, when I just barely started my career.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was barely 18 at the time, living in London, 1876. This story isn't a normal one, of course not. Let me tell you about how I uncovered the darkest secret I've ever had the displeasure of knowing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Alfred, I know you're young and full of energy but this is ridiculous. You are far too young and too low on the social ladder to even be allowed near the elite."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>An older man, somewhere in his forties or fifties, smoking a cigar and scratching his slightly bald head as a habit, sighed as he sat behind his desk, shuffling through some papers. Judging by the format, date and sheer amount, it was safe to say that they were reports from other journalists working at the company.</p>
<p>Opposite of him, there was a young man, with dirty blonde, shaggy hair and a strange cowlick that refused to stay down, and bespectacled ocean blue eyes. Judging by his appearance and height, it was safe to say he was very poor and just barely an adult despite working at a firm like this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh come on, I can do that just fine! Nobody would care anyways, and it could be the biggest scoop of my career yet!" The young man looked pretty agitated with his boss' behaviour, grumbling angrily as he gripped the armrests of the uncomfortably small wooden chair he was sitting in pretty tightly to hold back his rage. For someone so young, he had a surprising amount of attitude towards his elders. "Please, just let me go! I promise I won't stay long, and I won't bother any of the people there! Just let me go to the gala to get a good story!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His boss sighed rather defeatedly at this, rubbing the skin between his eyes a bit in annoyance and to calm himself down. If the light in the office were to be any brighter, he could have been a whole lot more annoyed. Thankfully the blinds were drawn, which had a nice profit to it and kept this conversation a bit more private.</p>
<p>"Fine, you can go. Only for a few hours though, and do not talk to the people there without being spoken to. Is that clear?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At this, the young man's angry expression dropped almost immediately and he cheered loudly. "Yes!" Though he did also kick himself back from the desk a bit too harshly, ending up kicking his chair back so he fell backwards onto the carpeted floor with a small thud. This did not stop him, however, as he scrambled back to his feet and sprinted out of the dark office. "Thanks old man," he yelled down the halls, causing the man to sigh and stare over at the closed blinds with a melancholy look on his face. "I swear, someday that boy will be the death of me…"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And that's how I found myself packing my things far too excitedly for the oncoming gala. It was going to be later that week at the famous London Opera, and many people would be there for me to interview. I truly wish I hadn't been so naïve and childish about it though, seeing as it lead me down a rabbit hole to which there was no escape.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had a pretty nervous rest of the week for Alfred as he spent almost all his time preparing for the gala. He could be found sitting at his desk for hours at a time, hunched over his papers as he struggled to come up with proper questions to ask people that were so much higher in class and authority than him without setting them off. Sometimes he refused to leave his small apartment for hours or even days at a time, concerning his neighbours and friends greatly. Sometimes he didn't even acknowledge them if they came over for a visit or to bring him groceries if he ever forgot about them. It was clear he wanted this to be perfect, but it was starting to border an obsession.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thankfully, it mostly stopped the closer the day of the gala came, and he returned to his normal, childish self as he spent his time finishing up his last few preparations. When the night of the feast came, he just couldn't contain his excitement and energy anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Everything looked absolutely beautiful no matter where he looked, decked out in jewels, gold and many decorations to the point he almost felt like he was living in a fantasy. Even so, he couldn't get too distracted as he was here to do his job. He wasn't supposed to dillydally all day, but write this newspaper article he had been bragging about so much the past week. So, pen and paper in hand, he made his way around the busy halls as he avoided all kinds of rich, upper class people that sent him more than just a few dirty looks. He would have said something snarky about it, but then again he didn't want to destroy his reputation and they weren't the people he was looking for anyways.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took him quite a while, but finally, he spotted a face in the crowd he recognized, namely from the many newspaper articles he had been reading in preparation for this night. It was a young woman he recognized to be a famous model here in London, though he couldn't come up with what her name was at the moment. Sometimes he cursed his short attention span and poor memory. Alfred also noticed the young lady talking to a few older men and women, as well as quite a few people that looked to be a bit younger than her, most likely around his own age. He had to do this though, so he swallowed nervously, pushed down any fear and willingness to flee he had, and stepped towards the group.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And with that, the conversation that started off the whole thing began. I asked the lady, the younger people, and even dared to talk to the older people. Despite their misleading exterior, they were a lot more nice and welcoming than I expected. Though here's where it went wrong and my curiosity got the best of me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"So, what lead you all to this success despite where you started off?"</p>
<p>In response, the young lady couldn't help but laugh softly, trying to cover it up with her hand. "Ah, we have our dear Arthur to thank for that." That really hadn't been the answer he was expecting. Arthur? Who were they talking about? Though as that name rang through the group, it gathered a surprising amount of attention to the point where he was getting a bit more curious. "If I may, can you tell me about this 'Arthur' fellow?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And tell him they did, though not many things added up. Especially when the lady showed Alfred a picture, in which a young man was visible next to what was most likely the lady when she was younger. The man looked to be somewhere in his early twenties, with shaggy hair, constantly narrowed eyes and enormously bushy eyebrows that he had to do everything not to laugh at. Overall, it was a pretty interesting result. Though when some of the older people there chimed in and showed their own photos of this Arthur guy, that's when he began to grow a bit suspicious. In every single picture he was shown, that man didn't look a single day older every time, no matter how old the pictures were. There was just something so unnatural about it, that he decided that day that he would investigate and find out what was going on. Though first, he asked a few more questions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"So, what was he like? Where did you all go? Why have I never heard of him before?" These questions and many more were asked that night, and the answers were happily given in return. Apparently they grew up in an orphanage in the countryside, which was incidentally the place run by Arthur. He was the one to pick them up off the streets and raise them as his own children, until they were old enough to be sent out into the world as proper young adults.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After a bit more questioning, he also somehow got the place where this supposed orphanage was supposed to be out of the people at the gala, and thankfully, it didn't seem to be too far away from London. It was a few hours by train at best, even though it really wasn't that cheap to even get a ticket. Even Alfred had to admit that he was too poor for one and most likely had to either hitch a ride or walk there if he did not want to go into debt over a single train ticket. Finally, after a long discussion and a lot of convincing the people present, one of them allowed him to travel with him to the nearest town to where this place was supposed to be. From there, he should be able to walk to the orphanage as it was just a few hours of walking away from the village in what was only described as an open, almost empty field. Who it belonged to and why nobody ever heard of it before, he did not know.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And that's how I found myself on the train with this strange young man I had met at the gala, staring out of the window to look at the passing countryside. Strangely, that man refused to talk to me otherwise if I asked about the orphanage or the people there, and instead gave me these really dodgey or irrelevant answers to the questions. It was pretty suspicious now that I think about it, but unfortunately back then I was the biggest airhead to ever grace the earth with his existence. I just took the answers as they came, and didn't think too much of it, not even when we arrived at the village and nobody dared to look at me. The man was fine, and happily engaged in conversations whenever he felt like it. Me? They avoided me like the plague.</p>
<p>When I finally left the village to walk in the direction I was told this strange place to be though, I did notice a lot of the village people staring after me with these strange looks in their eyes, almost as if they knew something I didn't. Back then I had no idea what it was about, but now I can only regret my actions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The man really had not been lying when he said it would take a few hours. The hike took Alfred almost the entire rest of the day, where he had to take frequent breaks because he really wasn't in the best shape seeing as he had been holed up in his office without too much movement for the better part of the past week. Despite the disadvantage though, he did his best to make it to this field he was supposed to head to before nightfall. He had heard plenty of stories from his peers and authority figures about people going missing in the dark, or something terrible happening to them, and even if he denied it, it was a very well known fact amongst his friends that Alfred was afraid of ghosts and practically everything supernatural. That was the best reason he had for not wanting to be caught outside in the dark.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>When I finally made it to this field though, back then I had no idea what to do. There was nothing there, the sun was setting and I was starting to feel I was tricked. That's when it happened though, and I never felt so scared before in my life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The moment the young man reached the clearing, he actually groaned loudly and had to do all he could to not scream his lungs out out of frustration. There was nothing there, except a barren field with barely any grass and no flowers or any other plants growing in it. "Oh come on! I came all this way for nothing?!" And with that angry yell, he huffed in frustration and turned his back on the field.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And that's when he felt it. A strange, unrecognizable voice in his head, with a tone so gentle and soothing it sent shivers down his spine.</p>
<p>"Ah, you don't seem to be lost, yet you come here. What are you looking for?"</p>
<p>At this point, he had to force down the bile in his throat and stop himself from throwing up. This was beyond weird, and creeped him out far more than usual. Still, he had set out to investigate this 'orphanage' and was not going to turn back now that he came this far. Swallowing nervously, he stood up a bit straighter than before, where he had folded over slightly with hunched shoulders. Still, he kept his back turned to the field.</p>
<p>"I-I'm looking for an 'Arthur'. I-I wanted to…" he had to swallow nervously again for a moment, as his throat bad gone dry, "I wanted to investigate a rumoured orphanage in this area…"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In response, all he heard was a chuckle in the back of his head. "Ah, very well then."</p>
<p>What followed actually made him jump in fright, as he heard the distinct sound of bolts squeaking as a door opened behind him and soft footsteps could be heard. "I see you are looking for me?" </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That voice was different, but soft and soothing in a way. Still, he couldn't help but shiver in discomfort as he turned back around slowly to see where it came from. What he was met with though almost gave him a heart attack.</p>
<p>In front of him stood a young man that he faintly recognized from the pictures he had been shown, but he never thought he would look like this. He had shaggy blonde hair, emerald green eyes that sparkled with curiosity and something else he could not really name. He was surprisingly short, wearing rather neat clothing for someone looking so dishevelled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He must have realized he was staring though, because one of those huge eyebrows quirked upwards as the man in the doorway looked suspicious. He only faintly registered the huge house that actually appeared out of nowhere that was attached to the door, but did not pay it much attention. Instead, he blinked and quickly turned his head away to quit embarrassing himself. "Sorry… Yes sir, I was looking for you. I was told I could find you here, and heard a lot of rumours I wanted to investigate."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I know it was a bit exaggerated, but I had to come across as interesting somehow. That man gave me the creeps the moment I saw him, and I had a feeling there was something off. I wasn't wrong, but I didn't know it at the time as this 'Arthur' guy dropped the suspicious look for a warm, inviting one and invited me inside the building. Now, it really didn't look any different from what you'd normally expect. The walls were covered in drawings made of crayon, paint and who knows what else, and a few photos were hung up as well. I only got more suspicious when I recognized them to be the same as the ones I was shown at the gala, but I wasn't going to ask about it since it was pretty rude to be so personal with a stranger. Though I also stayed mostly formal or quiet because that's when we met the children. Oh boy, they creeped me out even more than I was willing to admit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could just feel those children staring holes into him whenever he turned his back on them. They were silent whenever Arthur spoke with him, just watching as they walked down the halls side by side. Whenever he turned back around to confront the children about that behaviour though, it was as though nothing was wrong and they were normal children in an orphanage, just playing around and being altogether oblivious. It creeped him out so much he had to shiver in discomfort whenever he felt those stares boring holes into his back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It didn't help that there was one off-putting detail about them that really made him question why he came here in the first place and made him shake in his boots.</p>
<p>It was the children's eyes.</p>
<p>Whenever he could get a good look at them, he always spotted something different that was off about them but too subtle to be noticed in passing. A few had heterochromatic eyes. Some had a cat's eye, some that of a fish, and even some other that of a crow. Though it was clear that they all had one strange eye that really did not belong there. </p>
<p>That was not even the strangest part either, as he also noticed those off-putting eyes disappearing whenever he made eye contact with the children. After a while, he couldn't help it anymore and turned to the only other adult here with him, who was walking next to him and rambling on about how nice it was here with the children. He didn't seem too concerned, which made him kind of uncomfortable.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Hey, can I ask you something?"</p>
<p>At this, Arthur paused for a moment in his story about some kids that left the orphanage a while ago to glance over at his company. He seemed curious, judging by those slightly narrowed eyes. It went unnoticed to him however. "Yes? What is it, love?" Alfred sighed, trying to calm himself down a bit again because he could feel the kids staring at him again. "Why… do the kids here have those strange eyes…?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At this, the man next to him froze mid-step. He was dead silent, no emotion on his face expect a cold, hard stare. Seems like he didn't like that question, because the children's stares seemed to grow even colder as well to the point he had to hold back a shiver. He was still waiting for an answer though.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Well?"</p>
<p>The switch was so instantaneous and sudden that he barely even noticed it. Arthur quickly snapped out of it and now had an apologetic look on his face as he chuckled softly. "Ah, my apologies. I thought you said something different there, chap. What do you mean by 'strange eyes'?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That was not what he was expecting as an answer. Alfred blinked in surprise at the response, then glanced around at the children. For some reason, the eyes were gone and a heavy shiver creeped down his spine. There was something very wrong here, and he finally realized it. Seeing as he was being silent again for too long, he quickly turned back to the man next to him with a very awkward smile on his face. "O-oh, nevermind! I-I think I'm just imagining things, b-being tired and all!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even now, I still think that was the lamest excuse I could ever come up with. It did hold some weight though, as it was still getting pretty late outside. I was lucky that that guy fell for it, or those kids might've actually torn me to shreds the moment I was alone. But of course, my oblivious dumbass had to ask the worst question in this situation right after.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I-is there a room available upstairs?"</p>
<p>Whatever Arthur was going to say first, it immediately died on his tongue. That creepy stare was back for a moment before he just smiled brightly and pulled Alfred along down the halls. Specifically, away from the large staircase to the second floor in the foyer they had passed earlier. He had been very adamant about avoiding it, and whenever asked, he immediately changed the topic. Strange and very suspicious. That was probably why he slipped up and spoke his mind before he could stop himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Oh no, no, no, love. The second floor is a private area. I do have a few rooms downstairs here that I am sure the children would not mind sharing with you. Am I right?" At this, the children near them all laughed and agreed happily. It almost made him think there was nothing wrong. Almost, not quite. Then he remembered the creepy stares from earlier and quickly shook his head. "N-no thanks, y-you really don't have to…" he apologized in a stuttering, soft tone as he held up his hands defensively.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Are you sure, chap? I'm sure the children would never harm anyone, and the rooms available downstairs are just as comfortable as the ones upstairs." Was he hallucinating, or did that Arthur guy's eyes just change a little for a split second? Probably not, considering he was pretty tired and didn't want to deal with a lot more today. That's how he found himself sighing in defeat and nodding. "Alright, fine. But can I please get a room to myself? I prefer sleeping alone."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At least he followed up on that promise and gave me a room to myself. Even so, I still knew there was something wrong, just by the noises I heard from upstairs throughout the entire night. I could barely get some shut-eye, and the fact that the room I was staying in had been decorated to look like a room for toddlers really didn't help. Though back to the noises upstairs, because they really didn't sound normal. I heard children giggling and laughing more than just a few times, which was creepy in and of itself, but also… something else. It sounded wet and slimy, almost like a fish out of water that was flopping around on the ground as it desperately tried to get back to the water along with a strange popping sound that really shouldn't be there. Thing is, these few sounds frequently went together, and whenever I heard them, I always felt like I was being watched. It was the same feeling those kids gave me whenever I turned my back on them. Whatever it was, something really concerning was going on upstairs that kept me awake all night. Something was wrong, and my idiotic past self thought it was a great idea to find out what exactly that was.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That wasn't the only thing happening during that night. While there were multiple very tense moments that kept him awake with adrenaline alone, there were also those few rare moments where he could finally rest his eyes and sleep a little. However… it wasn't as peaceful as he hoped it would be. Whenever he managed to close his eyes and doze off for just a moment, he was met face to face with something he just could not describe. It was absolutely huge and ominously looming over him, looking more terrifying than anything he could ever imagine. It was just so… abstract, but nightmarish all the same, that it startled him awake in a rush of panic in less than a second, only to be met with those strange sounds from upstairs once again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I tried asking about it the next morning. I got nothing in response except soft laughter and another answer avoiding the topic. That's why I decided to go for a different line of questioning, focussing more on the pictures on the walls and the people those photos used to be of. It went well… for a while.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Soooo… What have the people that come from here been like? I met a few of 'em just a few days ago and they told me of this place." At that time, they had been sitting in the living room at that time, enjoying some breakfast tea while the children were playing in the room next door or in the same room. They seemed to act like last night and yesterday did not happen, but he did not pay it any mind. Arthur looked up from his teacup at this question, and you could almost think he seemed to replace the sun with how happy and excited he looked. Though the children also seemed to get pretty annoyed at that attitude.</p>
<p>"Oh, they have been such wonderful children! I still cannot believe they have grown up into such fine and successful adults, and I can do nothing but be proud of them like I were their biological parents!" He did have a point with that last part, as this was still an orphanage. It made him wonder about what happened to the actual parents, but that was most likely a topic nobody knew how to tackle.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"But I also noticed that some of them are way older than you, sir. Why is that?"</p>
<p>For some odd reason, a shiver crawled down his spine the moment those words left his mouth. It was mostly because by now Arthur was staring at him in shocked silence, his eyes wide in surprise. For some reason, it made him feel creeped out all over again, seeing as there was suddenly a cold chill in the house, and nothing but tense silence. The children stopped playing to stare at him again, and for a second, Arthur's form changed into something very horrifying, and very familiar.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly, everything clicked in the back of his head. The strange voice, the eyes, the creature in his dreams, and the sounds from upstairs. It all made sense now, as he took on an emotionless façade and turned to the 'young man' sitting next to him.</p>
<p>"You're not really human, are you?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The tension was so thick you could actually cut it with a knife, and it went on for what felt like an eternity before the silence was broken once again. However, this time it was not Alfred.</p>
<p>No, it was Arthur who broke the silence, by dropping his teacup and plate with shaky hands as he burst into tears and suddenly got up. He could do nothing but stare in shock as the man left the room, leaving him alone with the children.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once he got up to go after Arthur though, he could only take a single step before he was suddenly surrounded as many pairs of now very visibly mismatched creepy eyes stared at him with equally creepy smiles to go with it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"You will be in so much trouble~"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A sudden shove from behind made him stumble forward with a yelp, only to be shoved right back again by a child in front of him</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Ivaxenosianks doesn't like it when someone upsets Cthartishturge~"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He could feel nothing but panic and absolute dread at those words. What did those children mean?! What were they talking about?!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thud</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He froze up at the sound from upstairs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thud thud thud</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Getting closer</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His heart was beating wildly in his chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>THUD THUD THUD THUD THUD</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I couldn't breathe. It was getting closer and closer, and the children refused to step aside. It felt like I was crumbling to dust just from the sheer panic and terror at those simple sounds in the otherwise deafening silence.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I couldn't move.</p>
<p>My body refused to cooperate, and all I could do was watch the doorway as my field of vision darkened and narrowed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When I saw that…</p>
<p>Thing</p>
<p>Come in through the door, I felt like I was going mad. Surely, this THING couldn't be real, right?!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But I was wrong.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The children cheered as a creature so horrifying that I felt like I was losing my mind came slithering through the doorway, coming up to greet it like it was familiar to them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>They laughed and giggled happily as it picked them up, playing around with them as it gurgled and squeaked in a strange language only the children seemed to understand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>All I felt at the sound and sight of it was nothing but horror, numbness, and the elation that I now know to have been insanity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thud thud thud</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Ivan, please set them down. You're scaring our guest."</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When I looked again, the shock was so great I finally regained control of my body.</p>
<p>Backing away, I could only utter nonsense and jumbled words and I only managed a step before I fell.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That thing seemed to have noticed, as it turned towards me and I suddenly felt like I was suffocating.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The door was gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The windows were blocked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>All I saw was colours I never imagined to be possible, and hundreds of strange eyes staring right at me as if they were trying to bore holes into my entire being.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What was that thing…?</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn't the only thing staring at me though.</p>
<p>Behind it, I only barely recognized Arthur's form staring back at me with a look of disapproval, worry, and… was that fear…?</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Ivan, please. He doesn't know any better, he is just a child…"</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The creature gurgled and squealed something strange in response, but still did not seem to let its guard down. Still, it seemed to comply to an inaudible demand and pulled back along with the children.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The door was back, and the windows were unblocked again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Still, I didn't feel safe at all.</p>
<p>There was something going on.</p>
<p>Something they weren't telling me</p>
<p>Sadly, I didn't stay long enough to find out what exactly as survival instincts got the better of me and I bolted out the door as fast as I could.</p>
<p>Curiosity be damned, I knew damn well that that thing was going to kill me if I didn't run for my life right then.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And so, I ran.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran and ran…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>until I finally made it back to the village.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They all stared at me once they saw me come back like that, as I looked like I had seen more than just a ghost.</p>
<p>They knew</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I passed out.</p>
<p>When I came to again, I was back on the train.</p>
<p>I was alone.</p>
<p>All I had was a thick blanket wrapped around my shoulders, as it was keeping me warm and, dare I say it, sane.</p>
<p>I was clinging to the thick wool like a lifeline once I became more aware of myself and my surroundings, shaking like a leaf as I glanced around in paranoia.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I swore I saw a pair of eyes watching me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>No, not just one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was far more than that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When the conducteur came to check on me, he looked at me like I was insane.</p>
<p>He asked me what I had seen to make me freak out so much and cause me to collapse in the middle of the street in broad daylight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I couldn't tell him.</p>
<p>It was like my body refused to cooperate when I tried to open my mouth and explain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead, all I spouted was lies and incoherent words and sentences. I couldn't tell him.</p>
<p>I couldn't tell anyone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I couldn't.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When I made it back to London, I couldn't look anyone in the eye anymore. I couldn't open up and tell them of what I had seen.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Apparently, one of Arthur's 'kids' had tattled on me.</p>
<p>They said I had insulted one of their parents when I came by.</p>
<p>I tried to explain myself to my boss.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was fired on the spot.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I still see them sometimes.</p>
<p>Whenever I look in the mirror, I see a child or two or three, all standing behind or around me.</p>
<p>I see their mismatched eyes boring holes into me, judging me in silence as all I can do is to stare back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I still see them in my dreams.</p>
<p>I see Arthur holding me tight, I see that thing called 'Ivan' strangling the life out of me or holding me close like a small child, almost like being cared for by a parent. All I can do is watch as they command my every thought. My every movement.</p>
<p>I am helpless to their power.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I went back to the village yesterday.</p>
<p>Nobody looked at me or spoke when I walked on that same path again, back towards that empty field.</p>
<p>Back towards that orphanage.</p>
<p>I couldn't get their voices out of my head anymore.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I was welcomed back with open arms.</p>
<p>I saw Arthur there, waiting for me with that warm smile on his face.</p>
<p>I saw him pull me into a hug, and into the house as the door slammed shut behind me.</p>
<p>I saw him lead me upstairs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm home</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>